According to Article II, No. 5 of the LSA Constitution, any foreign scholar of international distinction in linguistic studies, not resident in the United States, may be elected an honorary member by the Society on recommendation of the Executive Committee. The total number of honorary members shall not exceed sixty and not more than three may be elected in any one year. The LSA Committee on Honorary Members recommends to the Executive Committee scholars who, in the Committee's judgement, should be considered for honorary membership. Such scholars will have demonstrated scholarly excellence and have had a notable history of impact on the field.  These recommendations are made in the form of citations and are accompanied by a CV or reference to the nominee's relevant websites. The Executive Committee recommends that LSA members attending the Business Meeting accept the nominations and, upon the acceptance of these nominees, letters, including the citation, are sent to the nominees requesting their written consent to become honorary members.

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go to Honorary Members by Year of Election

How to Submit a Name for the Potential Honorary Members

The LSA Honorary Members Committee (HMC) seeks qualified potential nominees that can be consulted in choosing new nominees for Honorary Membership to present to the Executive Committee each year, as vacancies allow.

LSA members are encouraged to submit nominations of potential Honorary Members. Members should look at the list of names of current Honorary Members above for inspiration and to avoid duplication.

The nominator's e-mail must include a justification for the nomination in a paragraph or two, explaining why the nominee is deserving of the honor. This justification should be suitable for use as the basis for the citation that will accompany the nomination in case the nominee is selected by the Honorary Members Committee. URLs of relevant information, including CVs, if possible, should be included in the nominator's e-mail along with the nominee's name and contact information.

Nominations for potential honorees are welcome at any time. The annual deadline to submit names is July 15 for consideration as honorary members for the following year (e.g., July 15, 2024, for Honorary Members who will be elected at the 2025 LSA Annual Meeting). Nominations of women and underrepresented minorities are especially encouraged.